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Review of Productivity and Skills in UK Engineering Construction (the Gibson Review)

Lord Mandelson commissioned this review in February 2009. It has been led by Mark Gibson, Chief Executive of the Whitehall & Industry Group. The Review has analysed evidence about the comparative productivity and skills of projects in the UK compared to other countries.

• The Review report
  Changing to compete: review of productivity and skills in UK engineering construction (1342KB)

• A research report commissioned from Independent Project Analysis Ltd and used as evidence for the review
  Productivity in the UK engineering construction industry (335KB)

• Mark Gibson has also issued a press release.

• The Government’s response

The terms of reference of the review were as follows:

• Assess the state of productivity in engineering construction in the UK
• Identify the key inhibitors to productivity, including skills
• Compare productivity levels wit those experienced on overseas sites
• Identify changes in practice and factors influencing success for UK-based companies bidding for UK and foreign, especially other European Union, engineering construction contracts (over the last 6 years)
• Make recommendations on:
  • Ways to improve skills and productivity in the UK engineering construction industry
  • What steps small firms can take to compete and to develop new skills and technologies in process
  • Strengthening the links between procurement of major public projects and provision of training through methods such as contracting
  • How procurement practices can be geared to support productivity on UK firms.